Laura Laker > Quotes

“it’s just another part of the transport network; the part that actively improves people’s health and wellbeing every day.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“The report noted money spent on cycling and walking returns on average £5.62 per £1 spent, more than double the average £2.50 for road building.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“In France, ebike grants had a massive impact, increasing how much recipients cycled each year on average by seven times, from 200km to 1400km. People reduced their driving distances by 660km and CO2 output by 200kg each.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“This is a bicycle road: something that offers a genuine and rather lovely alternative to driving.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“In 2022, 85 people were killed cycling in Great Britain and 376 people were killed while walking.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“NH doesn’t have a great track record on trees, though: in March 2023 it was revealed half a million trees, planted by NH on 21 miles of upgraded A-road, had died because of a lack of aftercare, costing the taxpayer £2.9 million – just less than its annual NCN settlement.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“the 2022 National Travel Survey found that in England 71% of all trips we made were less than five miles.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“In the Netherlands, unsurprisingly, they’ve nailed this by designating two types of road: flow roads and access roads. The former are through roads, on which you’d put a separate cycle route away from traffic. The latter offer no-through routes for motor traffic, allowing people in cars to access homes and businesses, but not cut through on their way elsewhere, making it safe for cycling. The current thinking is that if there’s more than a thousand vehicles a day or they’re going at more than 35mph you really need to do something about it if you want people to feel safe.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“The charity’s national survey, published in 2021, found that for 64% of disabled cyclists cycling is easier than walking – and for 59% their cycle is their mobility aid. Of 245 survey respondents more than half (60%) used standard bicycles, 26% tricycles or recumbents, 16.6% cycles and 8.53% tandems.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“Different departments want different things. Health departments want people to be more physically active. Environment departments to meet air quality and carbon reduction targets. Education wants kids arriving at school alert and happy, which active school journeys do. Business wants people healthy and productive, taking fewer sick days, which active commutes do. Local councils want thriving high streets. Cycling and walking policies tick all these boxes and more.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“The bicycle, as it often does, shone in a time of crisis.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“Taxpayers have forked out roughly £80 billion since 2010 in fuel duty subsidies, which, research has found, has increased our carbon emissions by 7% by making driving cheaper than other options.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“four to five people are killed every day in the UK because of road collisions and 24,000 people a year are permanently disabled”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network

“A reminder that Scotland is investing more than any other UK nation in cycling: £58 per person per year, versus £1 a year in England, £28 in Wales and around £7 in Northern Ireland.”
― Laura Laker, Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network